Furniture construction

ABSTRACT

Furniture construction including a sliding door support track structure comprising a vertical wall portion having a top flange member extending horizontally outwardly in one direction from its top edge and having an intermediate flange member extending in said one direction outwardly from the wall portion below and parallel to the top flange member. The flange members are spaced from each other to provide a cavity therebetween for receiving the top panel front edge portion of a cabinet. Depending from the intermediate flange member is a hook portion or first track for receiving rollers of a sliding door. The vertical wall portion also has a hook portion or second track formed in such wall portion parallel to the first track for receiving rollers of a second sliding door. Another form of the invention includes a drawer handle comprising a flat top wall having first, second, and third flange portions depending therefrom. The first flange portion forms a handle for manual grasping. The second and third flange portions are spaced from each other to form a cavity therebetween for receiving the top edge portion of a drawer front wall.

O United States Patent [151 3,643,529 Bright 1 Feb. 22, 1972 [54] FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION [57] ABSTRACT [72] lnventor: Joseph P. Bright, 315 Parkway Drive, Furniture construction including a sliding door support track Berea, Ohio 44017 structure comprising a vertical wall portion having a top flange member extending horizontally outwardly in one [22] filed July 1969 direction from its top edge and having an intermediate flange [2]] A l M 842,536 member extending in said one direction outwardly from the wall portion below and parallel to the top flange member. The flange members are spaced from each other to provide a cavi- [52] US. CL ..16/96 ty therebetween for receiving the top pan from edge perm)" [511 "E059 13/02 505d 15/06 of a cabinet. Depending from the intermediate flange member [58] Field of Search ..16/96, 94, 95, 87.4, 87.6, is a hook portion or fi t track f receiving rollers f sliding 16/93 105; 49/504 door. The vertical wall portion also has a hook portion or second track formed in such wall portion parallel to the first Rekrences Cited track for receiving rollers of a second sliding door.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Another form of the invention includles a drawer handle comprising a flat top wall having first, second, and third flange por- Weber tions depending therefrom- The first flange portion forms 3 2,597,224 5/1952 Charron et al.. 16/87- handle for manual grasping. The second and third flange por- 2,726,420 12/1955 Kemp ..16/95 tions are Spaced from each other to form a cavity 3,203,027 8/1965 Ohman ..16/9 therebetween for receiving the top edge portion of a drawer 3,402,510 9/ 1968 Johnson... ..49/504 from Wall 3,419,933 1/1969 Gossen ..16/94 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay Assistant ExaminerDarrell Marquette Attorney-Baldwin, Egan, Walling & Fetzer 22 IO '8 74 I2 23 7 FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION This invention relates to furniture construction and more particularly to furniture formed of wood with metal joints and fixtures.

There has long been a need for functional furniture fixtures of rigid, yet inexpensive construction and which may be very quickly and easily assembled on the furniture.

An object of the invention is to provide a one-piece sliding door support track structure that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and highly effective in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sliding door support track structure that securely retains the door rollers in operative position in the track.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sliding door support track structure of the above type that is self-cleaning and which may be quickly and easily attached to a cabinet top panel.

A further object of the invention is to provide an economical drawer handle of simplified construction that may be quickly attached in secure fashion to the top edge portion of a drawer front wall.

Briefly the foregoing objects are accomplished by the provision of a sliding door support track structure for attachment to the front edge portion of the top panel of an associated cabinet comprising; a flat, horizontally elongated, vertical wall portion; a flat, elongated, top flange member extending horizontally outwardly in one direction from the top edge of the vertical wall portion and at a right angle thereto; and an intermediate flange member extending outwardly from the vertical wall portion in said one direction below and parallel to the top flange member and spaced therefrom. The flange members are spaced from each other to provide a cavity therebetween for receiving the top panel front edge portion of the associated cabinet therein. The vertical wall portion has a first hook portion forming an elongated horizontal track fonned in such vertical wall portion for rollably supporting rollers of a sliding door. The intermediate flange member has a second hook portion forming an elongated horizontal track depending from such intermediate flange member and parallel to the first hook portion for rollably supporting rollers of a second sliding door. Each of the hook portions or tracks has an elongated groove formed in the floor thereof for receiving dirt therein. The intermediate flange member has elongated projections formed on its undersurface opposite the hook portions or tracks for retaining the rollers of the sliding doors within the respective hook portions or tracks. The flange members have opposed, coacting, elongated, inturned ribs on their outer edges adjacent the cavity for insertion into associated coacting slots in the front edge portion of the cabinet top panel to secure the sliding door support track structure of the invention thereto. Thus, there is provided a simple, inexpensive, efficient sliding door support track structure that is self-cleaning and that positively retains the door rollers in operative position in the respective tracks.

In another form of the invention there is provided a drawer handle for attachment to the front vertical wall of adrawer comprising; a flat, elongated, horizontally disposed top wall portion; a first flange portion depending from one longitudinal edge of the wall portion and forming a handle for manual grasping; a second flange portion depending from an opposite longitudinal edge of the top wall portion parallel to the first flange portion; and a third flange portion depending from the top wall portion intermediate the first flange portion and the second flange portion. The second and third flange portions are spaced from each other to form a cavity therebetween for receiving the top edge portion of the front vertical wall of the drawer. The second and third flange portions have opposed, coacting, elongated, inturned ribs on their lower edges for insertion into associated coacting slots in the top edge portion of the drawer front vertical wall to secure the handle thereto. This construction effects a simple, functional, drawer handle of rigid construction, such handle being quickly and easily attachable to the top edge portion of a drawer front wall.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein;

FIG. l is an end elevational sectional view of a sliding door support track structure constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of a dual sliding door construction and showing the track structure of FIG. ll incorporated therein;

FIG. 3 is a'perspeetive view of the track structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a portional perspective view of a drawer and showing a drawer handle of the invention applied thereto; and

FIG. 5 is an end view, partly in section, showing a modified application of the drawer handle of the invention applied to the top edge portion of a drawer front wall.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description, and not of limitation, and there is not intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope ofthe invention claimed.

Referring first to FIGS. l3, there is shown a sliding door support track structure of the invention, generally designated as S, for attachment to the front edge portion 10 of the top panel 12 of an associated cabinet (not shown). The track structure S includes a flat, horizontally elongated, vertical wall portion 20; a flat, elongated, top flange member 22 extending horizontally outwardly in one direction from the top edge 23 of the vertical wall portion 20 and at a right angle thereto, and an intermediate flange member 26 extending outwardly from the vertical wall portion 20 in the one direction below and parallel to the top flange member 22 and spaced therefrom. The flange members 22 and 26 are spaced from each other to provide a cavity 30 therebetween for receiving the top panel front edge portion 10 of an associated cabinet therein.

The vertical wall portion 20 has a hook portion forming an elongated horizontal track 40 formed in such vertical wall portion 20 for rollably supporting roller(s) 42 of an associated sliding door 44. The intermediate flange member 26 has a hook portion forming an elongated horizontal track 50 depending from such intermediate flange :member 26 and parallel to the first-named hook portion or track 40 for rollably supporting roller(s) 52 of an associated second sliding door 54. The rollers 42, 52 are operatively secured to their doors 44, 54 by the brackets 43, 53, respectively. Each of the hook portions 40 and 50 has an elongated groove 56, 58, respectively, formed in the floor thereof for receiving dirt therein. The intermediate flange member 26 has elongated projections 60, 62 formed on its undersurface opposite the hook portions 40, 50, respectively, for retaining the rollers 42, 52 of the associated sliding doors 44, 54 within the respective hook portions 40. 50. The flange members 22, 26 have opposed, coacting, clongated, inturned ribs 70, 72 respectively, on their outer edges adjacent the cavity for insertion into associated coacting slots 74, 76 in the front edge portion 10 of the cabinet top panel l2 to secure the sliding door support track structure S thereto.

In FIG. 2 the bottom edges of the doors 44, 54 are retained in a door guide 78 which in turn is secured to the floor 79.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown a drawer handle of the invention for attachment to the front vertical wall 86 of an associated drawer 87 comprising a flat, elongated, horizontally disposed top wall portion 90, a first flange portion 91 depending from one longitudinal edge 92 of the top wall portion and forming a handle for manual grasping, a second flange portion 93 depending from an opposite longitudinal edge 94 of the top wall portion 90 parallel to the first flange portion 91, and a third flange portion 95 depending from the top wall portion 90 intermediate the first flange portion 91 and the second flange portion; 93. The second and third flange portions 93, 95 are spaced from each other to form a cavity 96 therebetween for receiving the top edge portion of the front vertical wall 86 of the associated drawer 87. In one form of the invention, the second and third flange portions have opposed, coacting, elongated, inturned ribs 97, 98,

respectively, on their lower edges for insertion into associated coacting slots 99, 100 (FIG. 5) in the top edge portion of the drawer front vertical wall 86 to secure the handle thereto.

Such drawer handle is most inexpensive, easy to manufacture and apply, and highly effective in operation.

What is claimed is:

l. A sliding door support track structure for attachment to the front edge portion of the top panel of an associated cabinet comprising; a flat, horizontally elongated, vertical wall portion; a flat, elongated, top flange member extending horizontally outwardly in one direction from the top edge of the vertical wall portion and at a right angle thereto; and an intermediate flange member extending outwardly from the vertical wall portion near the top edge thereof in said one direction below and parallel to the top flange member and spaced therefrom; said flange members being spaced from each other to provide an open-ended cavity therebetween for receiving the top panel front edge portion of the associated cabinet therein, said vertical wall portion having a hook portion forming an elongated horizontal track formed in such vertical wall portion for rollably supporting rollers of an associated sliding door, said intermediate flange member having a hook portion forming an elongated horizontal track depending from such intermediate flange member intermediate its ends and parallel to the first-named hook portion and extending outwardly of the wall portion for rollably supporting rollers of an associated second sliding door, each of said hook portions having an elongated groove formed in the floor thereof for receiving dirt therein, said intermediate flange member having elongated projections formed on its undersurface directly opposite the hook portions for retaining the rollers of the associated sliding doors within the respective hook portions, said flange members having opposed, coacting, elongated, inturned ribs on their outer edges adjacent the cavity for insertion into associated coacting slots in the front edge portion of the cabinet top panel to secure the sliding door support track structure thereto. 

1. A sliding door support track structure for attachment to the front edge portion of the top panel of an associated cabinet comprising; a flat, horizontally elongated, vertical wall portion; a flat, elongated, top flange member extending horizontally outwardly in one direction from the top edge of the vertical wall portion and at a right angle thereto; and an intermediate flange member extending outwardly from the vertical wall portion near the top edge thereof in said one direction below and parallel to the top flange member and spaced therefrom; said flange members being spaced from each other to provide an open-ended cavity therebetween for receiving the top panel front edge portion of the associated cabinet therein, said vertical wall portion having a hook portion forming an elongated horizontal track formed in such vertical wall portion for rollably supporting rollers of an associated sliding door, said intermediate flange member having a hook portion forming an elongated horizontal track depending from such intermediate flange member intermediate its ends and parallel to the firstnamed hook portion and extending outwardly of the wall portion for rollably supporting rollers of an associated second sliding door, each of said hook portions having an elongated groove formed in the floor thereof for receiving dirt therein, said intermediatE flange member having elongated projections formed on its undersurface directly opposite the hook portions for retaining the rollers of the associated sliding doors within the respective hook portions, said flange members having opposed, coacting, elongated, inturned ribs on their outer edges adjacent the cavity for insertion into associated coacting slots in the front edge portion of the cabinet top panel to secure the sliding door support track structure thereto. 